Composition for killing canada thistles.



UNITED STATES FELIX EISCH AND EDWARD RACZINSKI, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO NORBERT GEORGE METSCHL, OF SAME PLACE.

COMPOSITION FOR KILLING CANADA THISTLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,725, dated March12, 1901.

Application filed January 9, 1901. Serial No. 42,634 (No specimens.)

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, FELIX EISGH and ED- WARD RAOZINSKI, of Milwaukee,Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Composition of Matter forKilling Canada Thistles, of which the following is a specification.

Our novel composition consists of the following ingredients combined inthe proportions stated, as follows: water, pure and hot, four quartswater-glass, (soluble glass,) onehalf pound; caustic soda, ninety-eightper cent. strength, five pounds; borax, one pound.

The caustic soda and the borax are to be completely dissolved, and allthe ingredients are to be thoroughly mixed by agitation.

In preparing the composition the water should not be boiling hot, butshould be raised to about 120 Fahrenheit, and the water-glass shouldthen be added, which will quickly dissolve and permeate or mix with thewater, and thereupon the soda should be added gradually, a little at atime, and preferably during about fifteen minutes, in all of which timethe mixture is to be constantly stirred, and thereupon the borax is tobe added, and this must be put in gradually, a little at a time,occupying about ten minutes in putting it in, during which time themixture must be stirred constantly. The agitation or stirring of themixture shouldin all be continued for at least one-half an hour.

In using the above composition the Canada thistle should be cut offclose to the surface of the ground and about a table-spoonful or oneliquid dram of the composition should be poured ontothe root of thethistle where cut oif at the surface of the ground, and this willpenetrate and kill the root entirely, even if it extends to the depth ofmany feet from the surface, as the roots of such thistlcs frequently do.

On repeated trials of the application of caustic soda alone to Canadathistles it was found that while one application would injure the plantit would not destroy it, but that repeated applications were required toaccomplish this unless the caustic soda was applied in large quantity.On adding waterglass and borax to the solution or composition it hasbeen ascertained that the composition has the quality that causes it toenter the severed root of the thistle and to kill it on one applicationof the composition and by the use of a comparatively small quantitythereof.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The herein-described composition of matter consisting of water,water-glass, caustic soda, and borax, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described composition of matter for killing Canadathistles, consisting of pure water four quarts, water-glass onehalfpound, caustic soda (ninety-eight per cent. strength) five pounds, andborax one pound, substantially as described and for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

FELIX EISCH. EDWARD RACZINSKI.

Witnesses:

G. T. BENEDICT, ANNA V. FAUST.

